Topic: Carrots

[daisymay]

On a carrot theme - but a slight tangent - is it OK to leave carrots in the gorund or should I lift them?

I went through them a few weeks ago and pulled any I could see with slug damage and then sprinkled ground coffee around them and packed straw around the tops?

Was hoping to just lift them as I needed them???

[Deb P]

I've lifted all mine in my garden at home, I think it depends on your slug population; mine were getting eaten to bits, so the danger is the longer you leave them in the ground the more the potential slug damage.

Going through my seed file, I found a packet of the autumn sowing Nantes (forgot I had it!). Now I've just got my raised beds sorted at my new allotment I'm tempted to have a go under fleece too...as most of the new beds will be empty over the winter and covered with black plastic, might as well!

[daisymay]

do you store them in sand??

the ones I did lift went soft within a few days, guess this is because they were a bit damaged.

[cornykev]

I wasn't going to put my early Nantes 2 in until early spring, but one in all in ,so I might as well give it a try, at 50p a packet what the hell, not going with the raised bed thou I will try interchanging them with onions see if that works. P.S  Daisy explain the ground coffee.

                   May the corn be with you.

[daisymay]

P.S  Daisy explain the ground coffee.

I read on here ages ago that slugs are deterred by coffee - someone gets a constant supply from their local starbucks - can't remember who?
Helped a bit. Lifted the carrots at the weekend and about 1/4 of them were slug damaged, compared to 3/4 of the ones I dug a few weeks ago.

Still really pleased with the crop as my father in law has been growing veg for best part of 40 years and never had any success with carrots.

They are definitely a veg I will grow lots more of in future - the taste is soooooo much better than the shops, not sure I can go back now.

I put them in a plastic box and covered them with the left over soil from a grow bag and put them in the shed - hoping this is OK..... have promised my mum carrots for Christmas day!

[cornykev]

:D  So slugs don't like coffee got it, does it do the soil any good ? I think you stored the carrots correctly thats how I would have done it, only I have eaten all mine, must put more in next year , haven't got any spare Daisy have you.   ;) :D ;D :P   

                               May the corn be with you.

[Common_Clay]

I also tried the coffee grounds thing with potatoes this year. I'd never grown them before but the regulars on the allotments said they'd be mostly eaten by slugs probably as the ground had been fallow for many years.
  Perhaps it was the varieties I grew that had some slug-resistance (Charlotte, Saxon, Desiree and King Edward) but I had hardly any losses at all to slugs, especially the earlies.

P.S. Cornykev, it's the caffeine they dislike, so presumably old tea leaves would also work...  ??? ;D

[supersprout]

MikeB did an experiment with instant coffee:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,20585.0

So slugs don't like coffee got it, does it do the soil any good ?

All good organic stuff IMO, if you search on 'coffee grounds' here you'll find quite a few good posts! :)

[Rosyred]

I used tea leaves on the ground as slug & snails don't like the bits on them also use egg shells. (When I can be bothered to empty tea bags)

[daisymay]

wow - that is dedication - emptying tea bags......

sorry cornykev - no spares at all - going to struggle not to eat them ourselves before Christmas - will power required, they are gorgeous!

[saddad]

We are pulling our first finger thinings from some Autumn King we planted at the end of August, we also put in some swede which while small, tennis ball size are wonderful!
 ;D
Yes they were very sweet!
 :)

[manicscousers]

I'll bet they're lovely and sweet  :)

[plot51A]

Went down to my lottie today - my Nantes Frubund planted at the beginning of the month have germinated  :D Its a start - now what are the chances of them surviving and giving me some carrots before I give up my lottie on 1 March  ::) ? (Not very good methinks.)